Android vs. iOS App Development: Which One is Best for Your Business?

Gemma Walker

Oct 16, 2017

371 Views

As the technology and mobile ecosystem continue to expand, many IT companies struggle to choose between iOS and Android platform for building an app. The same thing applies to entrepreneurs when they decide on developing an application for their businesses.

Once you have conceptualized the name, outline, and wireframe of your mobile app, it’s time to take care of the development part, meticulously. However, there are few things you need to know before you start working on any app design such your target audience, iOS or Android app development costs, revenue, features, and more. In this blog post, we have given a brief explanation of the factors that can help you to decide which platform you should choose to create your business app.

Demographics

Knowing your target audience and market share of both platforms are of the utmost importance. With approximately 64% of global market share, Android dominates the entire smartphone industry. Even though the iOS market is small and clocks in at 32%, it is still incredibly popular when it comes to developing cheap, quick, and responsive mobile apps. If you aim to reach a wider market, then Android platform should be your most preferred choice.

Development and deployment

When we talk about the development time, cost, and complexity of an app, iOS has the upper hand over Android, and the main reason is platform fragmentation. Apple has top-notch development toolkits and a limited number of iOS devices, which includes iPad, iPhone, and iPod. That’s the reason iOS apps take less time and money to launch. On the other hand, if your target is Android, then you need to consider many things while building an app such as a wide range of devices & OS, aspect ratios, different screen sizes, and adaptability of applications for various smartphones and tablets.

Another important factor is the cost of Android or iOS app development. Whether you aim to develop an app for iOS or Android devices, there is nothing inherent that makes one of these choices more expensive than the other. The cost factor largely depends on the scope, complexity, and features of the app.

Revenue

Every marketer wants their app to be famous and profitable amongst users. That’s the reality! Many people have a misconception that if they invest and create an app using Android platform, they would get higher ROI because Android holds a greater piece of the pie. Well, that’s not true. You can find a higher percentage of Android apps that support ads, however, paying for apps is still more common on iOS. There are ample surveys and analytics which provide the precise insights that iOS apps earn more revenue as users tend to spend more on in-app purchases. In fact, App Store generates about 68% more revenue as compared to Google Play Store.

Release cycles

Since Android is locked down by its equipment manufacturers and carriers, it is hard to release its updates. In fact, Android users have the minimum adoption rate of the latest OS versions. For a quick understanding: Lollipop, an operating system that was first started in June 2014 is used by less than 15% android users. That’s also a reason why Android lags behind iOS when it comes to release cycles. If we talk about iOS, more than 80% users have already updated their devices to the latest version.

App development

Whichever platform you select, whether it be Android or iOS, consider hiring an experienced and reputable mobile app development company that is well-versed with the latest tools, methodologies and can build robust, intuitive, and successful apps that are well-tested, scalable, and user-friendly. Developing and launching a mobile app is a complex and multi-stage process. That’s why it’s always a good idea to leave it to the pros.

Your choice boils down to various factors that are included in any mobile app development process. Both Android and iOS have their pros and cons. With Android, you cover a huge market share, but with iOS, chances are your turnover would be high. While iOS apps work on a narrow range of devices, which certainly means less complexity and time, Android apps are more complicated, time-consuming, and expensive.

So, it is entirely up to you whether to choose Android or iOS for developing a mobile app for your business.

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